Hour-increment hour hand setting mechanism



Feb. l5, 1949. J. P. GRAEF yHOUR--INCREMENT HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISMFiled Sept. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1949. J. P. GRAEF2,451,599

HOUR-NCRMENT HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISM Filed sept. 2, 1944 2sheets-sheet 2 2a 22r 23 3a 24 7/ 7 N/ 2a 2s ao a 32 31 aa a4 35Patented F eb. 15, 1949 HOUR-IN CREMEN T HOUR HAND SETTING MECHANISMJean Pierre Graef, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Application September2 In Switzerlan 1944, Serial No. 552,489 d July 22, 1943 Section 1,Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires July 22, 1963 Claims.

vThis invention relates to watches. Object of the invention is a Watchin which the hour-hand is coupled with a wheel taking along the hourhandby means of a mechanism allowing a sudden change of the position oi thishand with regard to the said wheel by a predetermined angle. Such anarrangement can be used in pocket chronometers, as Well as in boardwatches or in wrist watches and is particularly useful when the usergoes from one time zone to another. These time zones vary by an entirehour one from the other. However, as this difference may be in the oneor the other sense, means are preferably provided allowing the hour-handto be advanced or returned by an entire hour.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, by way of example, two embodimentsof the watch according to the invention. They relate to watches with anhour-hand independent of the minutehand, thatV is, with an hour-handrotating over a separate circle of hour-indicia which is not concentricwith the dial of the watch.

Figure 1 is a plan View showing the iirst em bodiment, in so far as isnecessary for the comprehension of the invention;

Figure 2 is a section through this iirst example;

Figure 2a, shows a detail oi the rst example;

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the second embodiment, in so far as isnecessary for the comprehension of the invention with a nevel pinion inydisengaged position;

Figure 4 is a section along the broken line A B C of Fig. 3,y but withthe bevel pinion in engaged position.

In Figs. l and 2 the hour-wheel I driven by the pinion 2l is looselymounted on an axle 2 to which a star-shaped wheel 3 and a wheel i withsquare-shaped teeth are rigidly xed. The hour-hand shown in chain-dottedlines is iixed to the hub 5 of the star-shaped wheel 3. On thehour-wheel I a pawl 6 is pivoted, the free end of which is pressed by aspring 'l into one of the twelve tooth-gaps of the star-shaped wheel 3which correspond to the different hour-indicia.

In the neighbourhood of the wheel l an oscillatory member 9 is pivotedon the pivot 8, a doubleacting pawl IB being articulated to said member9. This pawl, in its median position shown in the drawing, bears withthe portion between the hooks H and I2 slightly and elastically againstthe square-shaped teeth of the wheel 4. The pawl ID is held in thismedian position by a spring i3 engaging a notch of the oscillatorymember 9.

A pusher I4 illustrated in Fig. 2 goes through the caseband of thewatch. It is rotatably arranged and under the inuence of two springs.The first one, l5, holds the pusher i4 out of contact with theoscillatory member il and the second one. 39, holds the nose l' of thepusher M constantly in such a position that an accidental operation hasno influence whatever upon the oscillatory member For acting upon thelatter in the one or the other direction, it is, therefore, necessary,to rotate the pusher by 90 in order to bring the nose IS either to theright or the left side of the pivot S of the oscillatory member 9. Thisrotation having been carried out, the pressure which follows thereuponacts on the one or the other side of this pivot 8 in order to engageeither the hook il or the hooi: l2 with the toothed wheel and to advanceor to return this latter by one tooth. This movement corresponds to thedesired displacement of the hour-hand. When the pusher is again releasedit is brought back by the springs acting upon it. The pawl lil againtakes the position shown and the watch can continue to work.

Referring now to the second example shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the plate 22of the movement carries a pin 23 on which the hour-Wheel 2B rotatescoupled to the spring motor by means of nonrepresented gearings. Thiswheel 24 meshes with the minute-pinion 25; the minute-work wheel 26meshes with the pinion 27 on the axle of which a minute-hand is mounted.The hub 38 oi the wheel 24 is connected with a plate 28 to which aspring 29 is iixed whose free end bears on the circumference oi 'astar-shaped wheel 3d loosely mounted on an extension of the hubv38. Thisstar-shaped wheel 30 has, on the one hand, a toothing with twelvenotches each corresponding to an hour of a day. On the other hand thisstar-shaped wheel 34.3 has an ordinary toothing engagingan intermediateWheel 3l, the pinion 32 of which meshes a second intermediate wheel 33engaging a bevel pinion 34 fixed to the rod 35. This latter can carryout an aXial movement. At one end of its stroke (see Fig. 3) it iscompletely released, while, at the other end of its stroke it is coupledwith the intermediate wheel 33. A spring 35 cooperating with the rod 35holds the latter in place in the one or the other of its positions.

The hour-hand 31 is fixed to the hub of the star-shaped wheel 30.

It may he seen that, the bevel pinion 34 being in the positionrepresented in Fig. 3, the hourhand 3l is normally taken along by thestar shaped Wheel coupled with the hub 38 of the wheel 24 by means ofthe spring 29. If, however,

Vrotated in the one or the other direction, while movingtherstar-'shaped-wheeL along the4 free end Vof the spring-29,.

W hat I claim is:

l. in a watch, a star-shaped Wheel, an hour hand in connection with saidstar-shaped Wheel, an hour wheel, a means in relation with saidstarshaped Wheel, adjusted to drive the latterin eitherrrotatingdirection relative-to .said hour wheel in order to rotate said hour handindependenly of any movement of said hour Wheel, and a pawl in drivenconnectionwitlrsaidihour wheel and in engagement with said star-shapedwheel to drive said latter onmormal-advance movement of said hour handprovokedzbyf said hour wheel and to trail over said star-shaped wheelwhen the latter is driven by said means.

2. In a watch, arpusher projecting to the outside, a star-shapedwhe'el,an hour-hand in conn neotion withfsaid starshaped wheel, a" toothedWheel `coupled withsaid star-shaped'wheel, an hour wheelyan oscillatorymember in voperating relation with said pusher, a iirst pavl in operai,ring relation with said'os'cillatory member said-toothedwlieel-to engagesaid toothed wheel onoperation 01E-'said pusher to produce'lmovementofsaidstar-shaped Wheel in order to'rotate said hour-handindependentlyof any movement of said hour wheel, andaV second pawl in driven con- Ynectionwith said hour Wheel and in engagement with said star-shapedwheel tov drive said latter on 'normal-advance movement of saidhour handprovoked by said .hour wheeland to trail lover said VstareshapedWheel'when the latter is driven bysaidl toothed wheel von operation ofsaid pusher.

`13. Inafwatch, a'pusher rotatable into two dif ferent positions, lastar-shaped wheel, an honrharid in connection-with saidstanshaped wheel,a toothed wheel coupled with said star-'shaped wheel, an hour WheeLanoscillatory member adlasted tobe swung' by said' pusher, a double-actingy-prawl adjusted -tolworls upon fsaid Vtoothed wheel in theorie or theother direction according as'lsaid pusher is in the one or theiotherof'said vtwo"different positions, to producemovement of saidstar-shapedwheel in'iorder to rotate said hour hand independently 'of'any i movement of saidhour wheel, -and a'second pawl in drivenconnectionwith' said hour wheel and in Aengagement vwith Asaidstar-*shaped Wheel to drive' said latter on normal advance movement of'said hour hand 'prdvokedbyv saidhour wheel and to` trail over saidIstar-shaped wheel when the vlatter is drivenv ley-said toothedfwheel onoperation of said pusher.

4. In a Watch, a pusher rotatable into two different positions, astar-shaped wheel, an hourhand in connection with said star-shapedwheel, a toothed wheel coupled withfsaid Vstan-shaped wheel, anihour-wheeL; a spring,': an oscillatory member engaged by said spring inorder to be :held in median position, said oscillatory member beingadjusted to he rotated by said pusher against theeiect of said spring inthe one or the' other direction according as the latter is in thev:eneide-r the .other of said two diEEerent posi- -.tions, adouble-acting pawl hinged on said oscillatory member adjusted to workupon said toothed -wheelin theorie or the other direction according assaid pusher is in the one or the other of said twoy positions, toproduce movement of said star- `Shaped4 Wheel in order to rotate saidhour hand independently of any movement of said hour rvheelpand a secondpawl in driven connection with said hour wheel in engagement with saidstar-shaped whee to .adrive said 'latter on' normal advance movement of;said 'hour hand provoked bylsaid lionr'yI-heel: to .trail Yoversaidstarshaped :Wheelf-when thelatter is driven '.byi said toothed wheelon operationl of said pusher.

5. In a'watch, abevel pinion, a-:rotatableshat carrying bevel pinion: a=star-.shapedA wheel., an hour-,hand yin Vconnection `withtsaidfstarshaped .vheet'a toothed wheel coupled with `said star-shapedwheel, an"hourwheel, ra gearing` in engagement vwith said toothedwheei'and'in `disengageable relation with said bevel pinion to :producemovement ofsaidf starshaped wheel lin order to'. rotate said.incur-'hand independently .of any movement of said hour-wheel, and a'.pawl in engagement with said :star-.shaped wheel' to drive-said latteron normal advance movement of" said hour, hand Vprovoked thy said hourwheel and toitrail over said starL-shaped'wheel Whenthe latter isJdrivenv by said toothedfwhe'elA on operation of said; sha-ft.

JEAN PIERRE GRAEF.

1fmiinfiltrations-` orrnn The following references'a-re of record in thele oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

